"So, Prince Ailwin-""Please, call me Ailwin. We will be family eventually."
*Cough* "Ailwin, tell me the truth. How did you and my daughter come together when she supposed to be at the academy." Mano asked after leaving the meeting hall.
*Nervous Chuckle*
"I see no one can get anything pa.s.s Lord Mano"s eyes."
"En." Mano nodded.
"First, before I explain I would like to apologize for lying to you when I said I wouldn"t get involved in my family"s….problems."
"Are you telling me that you will fight for succession…?" Mano stopped walking and turned to face Prince Ailwin fully.
"No, I still have no desire to be King...but other issues have come up that makes it impossible for me to stay away."
"Does this pertain to that video that has been going around…?" Mano wasn"t completely in the dark about the latest news concerning Ailwin and the King.
"Yes."
"Then I suggest you start from the beginning...especially if my cunning daughter is involved."
"Of course…"
Ailwin began telling Lord Mano everything that led up to him and Mika traveling together to the Amara clan"s estate.
Though he left out the more horrifying details, Mano was still alarmed and unnerved by the whole story.
When Ailwin was finished there was silent between them for a few moments. It wasn"t until they heard screams coming from ahead, did Mano snap out of his thoughts.
What the h.e.l.l is going on? There is only one courtyard that"s is over here, why is there so many people?
Running towards the screams, Mano stopped in front of Lady Delju and Sienna"s courtyard to see smoke and flames coming from the tops of their homes.
"What happened!?" Mano grabbed the closest guard next to him.
"My Lord, we don"t know. The fire happened so suddenly, it caught us by surprise!" The guard rushed to explain himself.
"Is Lady Delju and Sienna okay!?" Mano searched around through the crowd of servants who were trying to put out the flames.
"Yes, Lord Mano. They are over there…" The guard pointed to a soot covered Delju and Sienna, s.h.i.+vering underneath blankets.
"Father…"
"Sienna...Delju….what happened here? Are you guys all right?" Lady Delju ran into Mano"s arms crying.
"Mano, when you sent all the servants away, me and Sienna were the only ones to take care of the place. Of course it would fall into ruins…" Tilting up her face, she show him a pitiful expression.
"Luckily, Sienna was able to react fast enough to get both of us out of there...or...or we would…" Delju"s crying was over the top, but Mano couldn"t deny the fire raging next to them.
"Sienna, you did a good job saving you and your mother." Mano moved Delju off of him, to hug his daughter.
"Father, that"s not something you need to thank me for...I would gladly risk my life to save a family member." Sienna bowed her head bashfully.
Mano looked at the burning house, Maybe I have neglected them for too long…
"Come let"s get you two checkout by the healers and then I"ll get you settle at the new courtyard." Mano gathered Lady Delju and Sienna to lead them away, when he suddenly remembered Prince Ailwin.
Ailwin, who followed after Lord Mano, was helping the servants and the guards put out the flames.
They needed to stop the fire from spreading to other parts of the estate. When Mano saw him helping the servants and felt like a bad host.
"Stay here…" Mano told Lady Delju and Sienna before going to help extinguish of the flames.
"Mother, is that Prince Ailwin…?" Lady Delju looked at her daughter before turning to look at where Sienna was pointing to.
A man with dignified good-looks stood with the servants to pour water on the house, caught Lady Delju and her daughter"s eyes.
"Yes...that should be him…" Delju was feeling a little hot, but it wasn"t because of the flames.
"I want him." Sienna couldn"t take her eyes off of him.
"En." Delju"s thoughts were starting to get away from her as she stared at Ailwin"s broad back and strong arms, lifting up the pails of water.
When some splashed on his body, wetting his clothes, Lady Delju felt her throat go dry and her heart started palpitating.
"Mother… How am I going to get to get his attention? What is the next step in your plan?"
Lady Delju was still preoccupied with staring at Ailwin"s body that she didn"t hear one word her daughter was saying to her.
"Mother…?" Sienna turned to look at her mother when she wasn"t answering her.
The expression on Lady Delju"s face had Sienna feeling revolted.
Is this old hag salivating at her future son-in-law!
"MOTHER!" Sienna screamed into her mother"s ear.
"Aah! Sienna, what is wrong with you!?" Lady Delju was holdinhg one ear while glaring at her daughter.
"What is wrong with me!? What is wrong with you! How could you fantasize over your son-in-law!?" Sienna looked at her mother like she just did the most horrible thing in her life.
"First of all, I was just looking to make sure he matches up to our standards-"
"Tch!"
"...AND furthermore, he"s not your husband yet!" Delju pointed out to her daughter.
"He would be if you would stop making heart eyes at him and telling me to next part of the plan!" Sienna retorted back.
Lady Delju hate to admit that her daughter was right, she was leering at Prince Ailwin. However, it had been months since Mano had paid any attention to her, let alone visit her courtyard. Her frustrations got the best of her.
"Fine...but we have to wait to start to next part of the plan." Whispering amongst themselves, they had little care to their house falling a part in front of them.
It took over two hours to get all the flames put out and by that time it was done, Ailwin was exhausted, dirty, and hungry.
"Prince Ailwin, allow me to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help today…" Mano wanted to bow to Ailwin, but was stopped before he could.
"No need to be so formal, Lord Mano…"
"Then allow my steward show you to your room where you can change and rest before dinner."
"En...thank you." Ailwin followed behind Mano"s personal steward towards a courtyard that already housed his servants and soldiers.